Food is like medicine.
Your body is a temple. It is made to make life and carry you through life itself. That's enough of a reason to eat the fermented wonder that is organic sauerkraut.
I hated cabbage as a child. It was either too crunchy or too slimy – and mum always overcooked it, too. As I grew older, however, my palette changed, and I began to discover the beauty of fermented foods.
Fermenting is an ancient process that has been used as a way of preparing food for thousands of years. It has religious ties and is also a great way to preserve food that you might not want to eat straight away.
Fermenting brings living microorganisms in our food to life. It promotes the growth of healthy bacteria and multiplies probiotics by the millions. Needless to say, eating fermented foods is highly recommended for gut health.
We all have millions of teeny tiny little microbes happily living in our gut. They are responsible for the health of our gut. This means that we need to take good care of them. Otherwise other parts of our health could potentially be compromised.
Microbes in your gut are responsible for improving digestion and boosting immunity. Unfortunately, while modern medicine has its place, it's also wreaked havoc on this precious internal eco-system that is so delicately held in place.
So, while you might not have liked cabbage as a child just like me, you could very well get on board with organic sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is simply fermented cabbage. This means that we've taken an already nutritious vegetable and allowed it to slowly ferment over time, promoting the growth of existing microorganisms like probiotics.
Let's break probiotics down, so you get a better idea of what they are and how they help parts of your body like your gut. Probiotics are the living bacteria and yeast that you can find in naturally fermented foods. One main source of good probiotics is plain yogurt.
Probiotics are great for your health, especially when is comes to your digestive system – which is why they're so beneficial for the gut. You can think of them as the ‘good' bacteria, as opposed to the ‘bad' bacteria that can cause disease.
Now that you know what probiotics are and how they can help your digestive and gut health, let's take a look at how eating organic sauerkraut regularly can benefit your health.
The first reason is one of my favorites. As a busy mum, I'm constantly running around. All this activity requires a lot of energy, and trust me when I say I'm not getting it from the broken night's sleep.
Organic sauerkraut is great for breastfeeding, busy mums like me because it's packed full of iron. A couple of great side benefits of iron is an increased metabolism and good blood circulation. Your body needs iron to function, and it's great to find sources high in the stuff other than red meat.
Sauerkraut is also known for having a high fiber content. Fiber is an essential part of everyone's diet, especially when it comes to gut health. Having lots of fiber in your diet can help move food effortlessly through the digestive system, which can help you avoid cramping, bloating and constipation.
By working hard to regulate the digestive system, sauerkraut can also help to prevent more serious health conditions like colon cancer and gastric ulcers. Your digestive system is a delicate engine that takes all the help it can get, so taking care of it can help the rest of your body to function better for longer.
Another reason why I love eating organic sauerkraut as much as I can is that its surprisingly high vitamin C content. The last thing I want to deal with as a mum is getting sick. I can't afford to lie in bed all day – I've got nappies to change and washing to hang out.
One single serving or organic sauerkraut can give you 35% of your daily vitamin C requirement. I think it's clear that organic sauerkraut has a satisfyingly high level of vitamin C – more than most citrus fruits.
Organic sauerkraut has anti-inflammatory properties, too. Phytonutrient antioxidants present in sauerkraut can act as agents against inflammation, reducing chronic pain in muscles, joints and other areas of discomfort.
While your body works hard for you on a daily basis to keep its vitamin and mineral levels up, sometimes it needs a little bit of help to boost it along. When it comes to the gut, it's vital that you include some sort of probiotic in your diet to promote the growth of healthy bacteria. This way, your body will be able to prevent and fight disease using its army of white blood cells.
Organic sauerkraut is a natural, delicious superfood. As you can see, it has a myriad of health benefits to support the healthy functioning of your gut, digestive system, and body as a whole.
Gold Mine Natural Food Co. is my go-to for organic sauerkraut. Their 100% organic, raw sauerkraut is vegan, kosher and gluten-free. It's made in the USA and has nothing but organic cabbage and Celtic sea salt. Get your organic raw sauerkraut here.
Subscribe for more awesome daily health ideas to keep you and your family safe and well.
What other pickled and fermented foods do you like? Let me know!
